I was one of many to think the "Conversion Kit" was a separate product that owners of the First Edition could buy to transition into Second Edition. This is clearly not the case.

But having First Edition gives owners of Second Edition many more options (more tiles, more investigators, more monsters). Will FFG consider an "expansion" that would include just the tiles, investigators and monsters from first edition base set? If so, then it would seem they would also make "expansions" for Forbidden Alchemy and Call of the Wild.

Lastly, what about the six Print on Demand story expansions? Will those find any use at all?

If they go the same route they went when they transitioned Descent from v1 to v2, we might see small miniature/scenario expansions with updated minis for the investigators and monsters found in v1. Given the "cult" status of some of the monsters (Cthonian, Hound of Tindalos...) and investigators (Dexter Drake, Joe Diamond, Jenny Barnes...), I see this as extremely likely, because I can't imagine they would forever expect newcomers to the game to buy material from the former edition just to have these thematic "stars" in their games.

I own 1st ed and Forbidden Alchemy (never got to buying Call of the Wild, as the extreme unbalancedness of the game turned most of our playgroup off the game rather quickly), and while I'm happy for the conversion kit, I'd be happy with these kind of "updated minis expansions" too because let's be honest, the miniatures from the original game are far, far below current miniature quality, and the great detailed molds FFG now use for Descent or Imperial Assault.

I found both of those styles superior to what came in the base and Forbidden Alchemy scenarios.

Yeah, that was pretty much the overall opinion of Ze Internetz. But the problem was that the original game & expansion were so badly balanced (either I as keeper played as best as I could, and there was no way for the investigators to win, so nobody had any fun, or I played as a GM and we somehow had fun, but not as much as when we genuinely played a RPG, and since we're roleplayers first, boardgamers second, nobody saw the point) that after 5 or 6 games absolutely no one in my group wanted to play the game anymore, so I couldn't justify shelling out the box price for something that would have stayed on shelf unplayed.

I am positively excited about this new edition because several people in my group seem to want to give this game another chance, hoping it'll be better balanced (or at least, as a full co-op, it will be seen as a challenge and not as 1vAll bashfest). Will buy it as soon as it's out ^_^

They, along with the Labratory PoD expansion became much more balanced, somewhat shorter and more "gamey", and repeatable. Quite the opposite of the story driven fan made stuff.

Laboratory was designed by Sam Bailey, so, I'd have been surprised if it hadn't been good

Not only good but simply the best.

It was like a video game final boss fight or something. Quick (by MoM standards), high pressure, and dramatic. One that you want to play again immediately to see if you altered your strategy a bit you could beat the keeper. One of the few scenarios that got better with replays.

The Yellow Sign PoD one on the other hand, that was a superbly done scenario in the style of the base game.